Never Forget
by Friends Babe
Summary: Monica's having the day from hell, but for her and for Chandler, things are going to get irretrevably worse.


_I got the idea for this when I was sending a text message to my mum reminding her to pick me up from work. It's only a little one parter, and of course, it's Monica and Chandler. It's not turned into exactly the same story as I started out writing but I still kinda like it. Lemme know what you think! _

_Nina x_

**Never Forget**

**Part 1/1**

She was running late. Something that never happened to her. She was Monica, always on time, always early, and today she could have really done with being on time. Hastily grabbing her purse and keys she paused only to lean over Chandler's sleeping form, planting a light kiss on his forehead, "Don't forget to pick me up" she tried, eliciting nothing more than a small grunt from her husband. Monica smiled, she'd just have to call him from work later. Chancing a quick glance at the clock Monica leapt to her feet and ran towards the front door.

X

The morning shift had been torture, and they hadn't even started serving yet. The waiting staff hadn't done a great job in closing down the restaurant and weren't due back in again for hours so Monica's Sous Chef had had to spend the morning tidying the restaurant while Monica did twice as much cooking. And to top it all off they'd run out of parsley. Not good when the evenings starter was a 'crispy leaf salad tossed in a lemon and parsley dressing'.

Rushing out onto the heaving New York street Monica was suddenly grateful for it. At least spending ten minutes running to the grocery store gave her an excuse to get out of the kitchen. And, she reminded herself, Chandler was picking her up later, officially to give her a hand moving some old tables out but hopefully he'd suggest taking her out to dinner, since they were already in the car. Smiling Monica pulled out her phone, she'd told herself she'd call him earlier but right now a simple text seemed the most appropriate thing. A few seconds typing away and she keep walking. Plus he'd be at work now, a text meant he'd get her message when he finished and actually wouldn't forget to swing by the restaurant on his way home. Stopping at the crossing, Monica only had time to type out three words before the crowd surged forward again. Hastily adding a kiss she clicked send and thrust the phone back into her pocket, stepping into the store with a sigh.

X

Chandler heard his phone beep quietly from its place in his desk drawer. Opening it just a crack he saw the screen blinking, 'New Message', leaning back in what he hoped was a subtle way he checked for Mr Watkins. Dam. Stood at the end of Chandler's row. If he got his cell out now that would be it. Instead he closed the door and turned back to his screen, lunch was coming up, whoever it was could wait. Anyone important would have called anyway. As he settled back into his project the message became the furthest thing from his mind. It was only two hours later, his lunch missed and his advertising project still annoyingly unfinished, when the phone beside his desk began to ring that he even glanced up. Shaking the fog from his brain he reached over towards the handset,

"Chandler Bing"

The voice on the other end was gruff, "Mr Bing? It's Detective Jenkins from the NYPD here. I apologise that this is over the phone, but I'm afraid there's been an accident."

X

Monica felt like she was in some kind of surreal nightmare. No matter what she did today something was up against her. They'd managed to survive the lunch rush, but now all the ingredients they were running low on earlier were now completely gone. Grabbing her purse again Monica signed as she fished another forty bucks from the till. Screw protocall, the owners would kill her if there wasn't any food to serve tonight, they'd just have to cope without a few dollars until she could get it back.

At least it would all be over soon, Monica wasn't actually working tonight, she was just doing the preparations and then leaving her sous chef in charge. And for the poor girls first solo shift they could at least have enough food. Wrapping her coat tightly around her, her brain spinning with all the things she needed to buy she cursed herself for not writing it all down. She knew it wasn't like her but in the rush to get out she just hadn't had time. She didn't even notice the lights change on the crossing ahead of her until it was too late.

X

Chandler felt all the breath leave his body as the numerous possibilities ran through his mind. The police hadn't told him anything, just that Monica was in hospital. There had been an accident, but what kind of accident? She was a chef, anything could have happened. Sliced her arm off, covered in boiling oil, bleed to death on the kitchen floor. As each scenario ran through his brain, each new one more horrifying than the last, he forced himself to keep moving forward. He hadn't wanted to stand still long enough to hail a cab and instead had found himself sprinting towards the hospital. Each step feeling longer than the last. It was only when he saw Ross nervously pacing outside the ER doors that Chandler finally stopped running.

"Ross"

"Chandler" his friend's tone told Chandler all he needed to know,

"Where is she?"

"Chandler wait. There's … they're saying … it's really serious man"

Chandler shook his head, confused, "Ross what are you saying? What's happened?"

Ross sat down on a nearby bench and gestured for Chandler to do the same. He sat, realising for the first time how exhausted he really was, but if Ross wasn't rushing him straight to Monica's side, if there was time to sit still then it couldn't be all that serious could it?

Ross couldn't meet his friends eye as he began talking. "She was crossing the road, a car hit her. He was going at some speed Chandler. She was … she is … she hasn't woken up. The doctors don't think she will. I'm so so sorry Chandler"

It didn't make sense, wouldn't wake up? What did that mean? She was still alive? But his brain refused to let him ask those questions, too scared by the answers, "Why was she crossing the road, she was working today."

"The waitress said they'd run out of some stuff, she was trying to get it before you picked her up."

Chandler nodded, then felt an anger bubbling up inside him, "Where's the idiot who hit her? Is he hurt? What was he doing running into a woman! She's tiny Ross, what was he playing at?!" standing now he attempted to calm his racing breathing.

Ross simply shook his head, "It wasn't his fault Chandler, Monica ran right out in front of him. Nobody would have seen her."

"But …" it didn't make sense. None of it did. Why was she there? Why was he still here, he needed to see her.

"I'm sorry Chandler. There's nothing anyone could have done"

"Ross" he began, each word feeling like a rock in his throat, "What are you saying?"

His brother-in-law refused to meet his gaze, something Chandler knew was a bad sign, instead Ross continued to sit on the bench, unable to move. Slowly he began to speak, "She's gone Chandler. It's just the machines keeping her alive now. She's dead. Monica's dead"

X

Chandler walked out of the hospital entrance and into a bright day, much like the one he had first walked into the ER on. But it was different in so many ways. The official line was Monica had been killed instantly, but Chandler didn't believe that. Nothing could kill his Monica instantly, she was a fighter, she wouldn't have just lain back and accepted death immediately. There would have been a struggle. As he began the long walk home he felt himself sagging. Ross had left in the early hours, he'd wanted to tell Rachel in person , and Chandler knew he'd needed someone to comfort him. But without his best friend there to hold him up, and without his Monica Chandler couldn't stop the tears from falling.

Despite everything the doctors had told him, there was nothing anyone could have done, it was instantaneous, she didn't suffer, Chandler still couldn't quite forgive himself for not being there. His wife, the woman he loved, had died in an ER trauma room with no one there. He'd never even gotten the chance to say goodbye. He searched his brain, desperately trying to remember the last thing he'd said to her, but he couldn't even remember. It would probably have been something flippant, a 'see ya later' he doubted he'd even remembered to say he loved her. As the tears flowed faster and heavier, Chandler found himself slumping onto the nearest bench, his coat pocket making a dull clunk as it hit the wood.

Out of habit he reached into his pocket and felt his cell phone. Pulling it closer towards him he noticed the message light blinking. Almost in a flash he remembered the text message, the one he'd told himself he'd read later. He went to place the phone back in his pocket, that message had been meant for a different Chandler, was for a different life, but intrigue got the better of him. Slowly he clicked the button, his heart stopping when he saw Monica's name. Opening the message before he lost his nerve he saw her final words, the last thing she would ever say to him. Dropping his phone in shock he sat back against the bench and sobbed until he felt his body run dry, until he could cry no more. All the while his phone sat at his feet, its message still displayed,

"Don't forget me. x"


End file.
